1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a light emitting device that a light emitting element (i.e., an LED element) is mounted on a mounting portion and sealed with glass. Also, this invention relates to a method of making the light emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a light emitting device is known in which a light emitting element such as an LED (=light emitting diode) element is sealed with a transparent resin material such as epoxy and silicone resins. In this kind of light emitting device, a light emitting device is in practical use that an ultraviolet, violet or blue LED chip is used as the light emitting element and a phosphor to be excited by a light emitted from the LED chip is mixed in the transparent resin material to obtain a white light.
However, the light emitting device has a first problem that the transparent resin material deteriorates due to light or heat generated from the LED element. Especially, when the LED element is formed of a group III nitride based compound semiconductor to emit a short-wavelength light, the transparent resin material near the LED element may be yellowed due to high-energy light from the LED element and heat of the LED element itself, so that light extraction efficiency thereof lowers with time.
Furthermore, in the light emitting device, a thermosetting resin is used as the transparent resin material, where thermal hardening is conducted for 30 min to 1 hour in the production process. In this process, the phosphor mixed therein may precipitate in the resin material since it has a specific gravity three to four times that of the thermosetting resin and the viscosity of the resin lowers by heat. Thus, a second problem arises that the phosphor cannot be dispersed uniformly in the resin so that unevenness in white light discharged externally may be caused.
JP-A-2005-011953 discloses a light emitting device using glass as a sealing material to prevent the deterioration of the sealing material. The light emitting device of JP-A-2005-011953 is produced such that two glass sheets are prepared, a phosphor layer is sandwiched between the glass sheets, and the laminate of the glass sheets and the phosphor layer is fusion-bonded to an Al2O3 substrate on which an LED element is mounted.
On the other hand, JP-A-2003-258308 discloses an emission color conversion member that an inorganic phosphor is dispersed in glass. The emission color conversion member of JP-A-2003-258308 is produced such that a preliminary molded material is produced by mixing a glass powder and an inorganic phosphor powder while adding a resin binder, and the preliminary molded material is baked to have the sintered conversion member while removing the resin binder. JP-A-2003-258308 further discloses that the emission color conversion member is formed disk-shaped or cylindrical with a cap and is supported by a support member.
However, the light emitting device of JP-A-2005-011953 may cause a problem that a light emitted laterally from the LED element may be discharged externally without passing through the phosphor layer to allow unevenness in emission color thereof depending on the dimensions of components of the device.
The light emitting device of JP-A-2003-258308 may cause a problem that a light generated within the LED element formed of a high-refractive index material may not be externally discharged unless the LED element is sealed with a transparent resin or glass, to reduce the light extraction efficiency. Further, it may cause a problem that unevenness in emission color may arise necessarily by an optical path difference of light emitted from the LED element since the conversion member is located spaced from the LED element in any case where the disk-shaped conversion member is disposed in a case opening on the bottom of which the LED element is mounted or where the LED element is surrounded by the conversion member formed cylindrical with the cap.